David versus Goliath: why Aston Villa will almost certainly wait for Club Brugge in a possible final

Club Brugge is two games away from a European final. But who awaits in that eventual final battle? For the bookmakers, there is little doubt about that question.

Aston Villa of Olympiacos. One of those two teams will soon play the final of the Conference League. If we can believe the bookmakers, it will be the English. In no European semi-final, not even in the Champions or Europa League, has the favorite for them been so clear. Not even in Fiorentina-Club Brugge.

It is not surprising that Aston Villa, the only English team still active in Europe, is labeled as the big favorite. The core of players of the number four team in the Premier League has a total value of no less than 646 million euros, according to the authoritative Transfermarkt.be. Olympiacos, third in the Greek league, can ‘only’ pay 110 million euros in return. For us, the best-known names at Aston Villa are without a doubt Red Devil Youri Tielemans and ex-KRC Genk striker Leon Bailey. Villa paid a paltry 55 million euros for Moussa Diaby last summer.

However, Olympiakos will not simply give up. Not only can the Greeks qualify for a European final for the first time in their existence, the final battle of the Conference League will also be played in Athens. Club Brugge knows what to expect. Blauw-zwart has had experience with Greeks and witches’ cauldrons since the quarter-final against PAOK.